Aflac Civic Awards honoring Hispanic entrepreneurs presented during the Latino Coalition Economic Summit held in Washington, D.C. Washington, May 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Aflac Civic Awards for community and charitable service were presented to four Hispanic small business owners during the Latino Coalition Economic Summit held at the Four Seasons Hotel Conference in Washington, D.C. The national award recognizes Latino entrepreneurs for their civic contributions. Audrey Boone Tillman, senior vice president of Corporate Services at Aflac, presented each award recipient with a $5,000 U.S. Savings Bond for their designated cause. The winners will also receive marketing consultant support for their community service projects. The four national recipients honored were nominated by Hispanic civic and business leaders throughout the country. "These business owners are the leaders at the forefront of helping to make our communities stronger, and by doing so, making the fabric of our nation even stronger. Aflac is proud to honor them," said Tillman. "We are particularly proud to join Aflac in honoring Hispanic small business leaders who make unique and substantive contributions to their communities. Clearly, Aflac has raised the bar for all of corporate America in supporting minority entrepreneurs," said Hector Barreto, chairman of the Latino Coalition and former administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration. Aflac Civic Awards were presented to the following entrepreneurs: - Joseph Alvarez, CEO of Gainesville Ford and Mitsubishi in Florida, was honored for his efforts to help fight Children's Cancer by helping to raise $1 million for the Shands Hospital Pediatric ward. - Maria Del Pilar Rivera, co-founder of Alteeva, which is headquartered in Gaithersburg, Md., was recognized for her leadership in the development of Hispanic executives. - David Gomez, president of David Gomez and Associates in Chicago, was recognized for his commitment to developing scholarships for high school students and fundraising for health-related causes. - Jeanette Hernandez Preager, president of Ecco Select Corporation of Kansas City, Mo., was honored for her support of numerous business and charitable organizations committed to bettering the lives of Latinos. Earlier this year, Aflac worked with the Latino Coalition to honor four Southern California small business owners with regional Aflac Civic awards. Other regional awards are scheduled to be presented throughout the year. To learn more about the award and the nomination process, visit aflac.com or enespanol.aflac.com. About Aflac For more than 50 years, Aflac products have given policyholders the opportunity to direct cash where it is needed most when a life-interrupting medical event causes financial challenges. Aflac is the number one provider of guaranteed-renewable insurance in the United States and the number one insurance company in terms of individual insurance policies in force in Japan. Our insurance products provide protection to more than 40 million people worldwide. Aflac has been included in Fortune magazine's listing of America's Most Admired Companies for seven consecutive years and in Fortune magazine's list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America for nine consecutive years. Aflac has also been recognized three times by both Fortune magazine's listing of the Top 50 Employers for Minorities and Working Mother magazine's listing of the 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers. Aflac Incorporated is a Fortune 500 company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AFL. To find out more about Aflac, visit aflac.com. About the Latino Coalition The Latino Coalition is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization based in Washington, D.C. TLC was established to address policy issues that directly affect the well-being of Hispanics in the United States. TLC's agenda is to develop and promote policies that will foster economic equivalency and enhance overall business, economic and social development of Hispanics. For more information, visit http://www.thelatinocoalition.com/. Media Contacts: Mechell Clark Laura Kane Aflac Incorporated Aflac Incorporated (706) 243-8004 (706) 596-3493 http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20041202/CLTH019LOGO http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: Aflac Incorporated CONTACT: Mechell Clark, +1-706-243-8004, , Laura Kane, +1-706-596-3493, . both of Aflac Incorporated Web site: http://www.aflac.com/ http://www.thelatinocoalition.com/

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